Elim

Overview

• Type: Landmark / Oasis
• Testament: Old
• Modern Location: An oasis in the western Sinai Peninsula, on the route from the Red Sea toward Sinai

Biblical Significance

Elim was a welcome oasis where Israel encamped in the early days of the wilderness journey, immediately after the trial of the bitter waters of Marah. Scripture records, “And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters” (Exodus 15:27). Coming directly after Marah, where the Lord had healed the bitter water and revealed Himself as the One that heals, Elim stood as a place of rest and refreshment, a token of the Lord’s provision for His people. The twelve wells and seventy palms have long been seen as suggestive of the twelve tribes and the seventy elders. From Elim Israel set out again into the wilderness of Sin, where the Lord would rain down manna from heaven (Exodus 16:1). Elim thus testifies to the God who leads His people from bitterness to abundance.

Key Events

• Wilderness Wanderings — Israel encamps at the twelve wells and seventy palms (Exodus 15:27)
• Departure from Elim toward the wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16:1)

Key People Associated

• Moses — led Israel from Marah to Elim and onward

Important Verses

• Exodus 15:27
• Exodus 16:1

Cross-References

• Exodus — the journey from the Red Sea toward Sinai
• Numbers — Elim listed among the stations of the wilderness journey (Numbers 33:9-10)

Notes

• Coming right after the bitter waters of Marah, Elim pictures the Lord’s pattern of testing followed by gracious provision.